1. to coat or treat (a pathogen or foreign particle) with opsonin, making it more susceptible to destruction by phagocytes
Usage: medical/immunology; third person singular present tense of opsonize

Examples

• The antibody opsonizes the bacterial cell, marking it for destruction.
• Complement proteins opsonize pathogens to enhance phagocytosis.
• When the immune system opsonizes an invader, macrophages can more easily engulf it.
• The serum opsonizes the microorganism, facilitating its removal from the bloodstream.